May 26, 2009

Blog Chronicles Students and Alumni
Participation In Excavation of Ancient Palace

This summer, from June 21 through July 20, GW students and alumni will travel half-way around the globe to join a team of researchers and archeologists excavating the historic Israeli palace Tel Kabri.

The volunteers' experience will be shared online at Dig Kabri 2009. Daily blog updates will reflect personal accounts of the excavation, while videos and photographs will provide additional depth to the reports.

Dr. Eric H. Cline, the chair of the Department of Classical and Semitic Languages and Literatures at GW, will co-lead the staff on the six week dig of Tel Kabri. This year's goal is to investigate the palace's history from development through destruction.

Tel Kabri gained attention for its artifacts, which may be the earliest-known Western art yet found in the Eastern Mediterranean. Researchers have continued to study Tel Kabri to gain knowledge about political power struggles in the region during the Middle Bronze period (ca. 2000-1550 BCE).

For more information about the program and excavations at Tel Kabri, visit Dig Kabri 2009.